Summer risotto

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Preparation Time: 5 minutes | Cooking Time: 50 minutes | Freezable?: No

Delicious creamy summer risotto using seasonal veggies without the cream

Ingredients
Method

Ingredients

450ml/¾ pint vegetable stock (made with half a stock cube)
200-250g/8-9oz peas in the pod
4 trimmed asparagus spears – sliced into 4
2 tbsps olive oil
1 finely chopped small onion
85ml risotto rice
3 tbsp white wine
Small handful of freshly grated Parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative)
Small handful of rocket and a few Parmesan (or veggie alternative) shavings to serve

Method

Very gently simmer the stock, asparagus trimmings and pea pods for 10 mins (to boost the flavour of your veggies) then strain into a jug.
While your doing that, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wide shallow pan, add the chopped onion and fry gently until its soft, but not coloured, for 5-6 minutes. Add the rice, stirring and cooking gently for a further 2 mins until you can see through the edges of the grains of rice and they start making ‘clicking noises’. (Yes seriously!)
Add the white wine first, then 50ml/2floz of the stock, stir and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed, then another 50ml/2floz stock, slowly adding bit by bit until you’ve added in around half the stock. This will take around 7 mins and so time to add in the asparagus and peas in the pod, adding in similar amounts of rest of the stock in stages until it is absorbed (will take about 10 mins)
The rice will now be tender and the risotto a bit sloppy. Turn off the heat, gently stir in the Parmesan, taste and season to your taste.
Top the risotto with rocket with a drizzle of olive oil and Parmesan shavings when its served …. with a glass of white wine of course!

Quick Cooks Tip: You can use any fresh seasonal veggies available at the time, doesn’t have to be asparagus, ideally fresh. Increase the cooking time slightly if you use frozen veggies.